Another Best Day Ever!

We had another very successful Best Day Ever Event! We were able to connect with over 140 beautiful faces within 4 hours (the most we’ve ever seen at these events), have heartwarming conversations, provide 60 free haircuts, donate essential clothing items, and share a joy-filled day building community together.

Seeing the smiles light up as people left feeling refreshed and cared for is why we do this. Thank you to all the volunteers who gifted their time and compassion. And to the donors who supplied drinks, meals, snacks, and other critical items that allowed us to serve our unhoused neighbors.

Events like this remind us we are family. We are already counting down until the next Best Day Ever. Our community is strengthened when we take care of one another.

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/ and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!

Invisible Needs

Imagine you lose your housing and are suddenly forced to live in your car. You’re desperately trying to hold down your job, but the daily struggles of finding a place to shower, food you can afford, and a safe place to park overnight are beyond exhausting. Now it is winter and you have to choose between sacrificing gas money to run your vehicle to stay warm or shivering through the night in 40 degree temperatures.

There are many people living amongst us who at first glance are not visibly homeless. For every person you see living in a tent, there are many others living in vehicles, bouncing from couch to couch, or cobbling together other temporary forms of shelter.

The Window of Kindness is a resource to folks wherever they’re at. In the scenario above, we would provide a sleeping bag and blankets for insulation and referrals through our Resource Navigation Program to find transitional housing and other supports.

We want every person who visits the Window to have access to warm food, dry clothing, and a non-judgemental listening ear. This is our baseline. But when someone comes to us with other emergency needs, we want to be able to help.

This month, community members like you have contributed $1,670 to our Client Support Fund for tents, sleeping bags, tarps, backpacks, and other life saving supplies. Thank YOU! Let’s keep this ripple of compassion going and get all the way to our $5,000 goal! Just $25 can provide a sleeping bag to someone in need, offering them a bit of comfort and warmth during a difficult time.

Donate today at https://givebutter.com/FHClientSupportFund or if you are inspired what this community can accomplish when we pool our resources, talents, and time, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/compassioncollective and set up a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of this work. THANK YOU!

Facing Homelessness: Re-Introduction

Hey, we see some new faces around here! We thought it was time to formally re-introduce ourselves.

We're Facing Homelessness, an organization working to end homelessness through community engagement and relationship building. Our purpose is to increase connection, belonging, and stability for those experiencing homelessness.

We operate programs like: The Window of Kindness, where volunteers provide essential supplies and a listening ear to our unhoused neighbors. The BLOCK Project builds fully equipped tiny homes in backyards for those experiencing homelessness to have a place to call home. Our Companionship Program connects community volunteers and members of the BLOCK Home community for mutual relationship building and support.

Our mission is to inspire deliberate community mobilization towards ending homelessness by engaging people to be part of the solution. We envision a world where homelessness no longer exists, guided by values of compassion, equity, collective responsibility, accountability, and action.

Now that you know us, we want to get to know you! Introduce yourself below and why you're joining us on the mission to end homelessness.

With So Much Gratitude,

The Facing Homelessness Team

Give Love

What warms your heart on the coldest winter day? For us at the Window of Kindness, it's the chance to spread compassion and care to those in our community.

This Valentine's Day, we're asking you to give LOVE and help us provide vital supplies like hand warmers, hot meals, and other essentials to our unhoused neighbors. Donated funds also allow us to help with “big ticket” items like tents, sleeping bags, tarps, and backpacks that our clients need for shelter from the cold and wet.

If you’ve never seen The Window of Kindness in action, it’s important to know that it is also a welcoming space for uplifting human connection - where judgments are left at the door, hearts are warmed through conversation, and spirits are lifted with the simple gift of being seen and heard. In a world where many avert their eyes when they pass someone living on the street, the chance for connection the Window offers is so needed.

You can share LOVE today by giving the gift of dignity and care. Donate today at https://givebutter.com/FHClientSupportFund to help us continue providing vital resources and emotional support to unhoused members of our community. Even the smallest act of love makes a difference!

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/

and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!

Thank You Ling Shen Ching Tze!

Just before the holidays, the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple donated over $5,000 of essential clothing, food, and supplies to help our unhoused neighbors stay warm. This generous donation included over 70 winter coats, 50 sets of thermals and blankets, 100 packs of socks and underwear, and other crucial cold weather gear.

For the last three years, the Redmond Buddhist temple has given thousands of items to assist Facing Homelessness in caring for the unhoused community during the winter months. We are truly grateful to partners like Ling Shen Ching Tze who mobilize compassion into action when the need feels greatest.

Thank you for your big hearts! We encourage other community organizations to consider hosting donation drives as well to help our unhoused neighbors get essential items they need.

Learn more about how to host a donation drive: https://facinghomelessness.org/host-a-donation-drive

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/

and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!

December Reflection

The Window of Kindness served a record number of visitors in the days leading up to the Christmas holidays. Seeing more than 70 individuals experiencing homelessness per day reaffirmed for our staff and volunteers the necessity of the Window as a space of care and connection.

Our volunteers distributed donated winter survival essentials–gloves, hand warmers, coats, blankets, and gift cards; and for our holiday meal, we were able to share cheer with favorites such as baked ham, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese.

We had over 210 points of contact with unhoused neighbors who stopped by seeking compassion and essentials. Thanks to many small acts of generosity from our community, we were able to meet some of their most pressing needs for warmth, food, and friendly conversation.

Our community continues to prove that we won’t leave our neighbors behind. The Window stands ready to meet anyone in need with empathy and action. Here’s to spreading more compassion in 2024.

Volunteer Orientation

Our recent January 4th orientation brought 12 new folks excited to volunteer with the Window of Kindness. We're thrilled to onboard more dedicated team members to help at The Window during this ongoing harsh winter weather.

We'll hold our next Window of Kindness orientation on February 1st for anyone eager to learn more about this volunteering. Whether you can commit weekly or occasionally, we have openings to fit different availabilities. Sign up at https://facinghomelessness.volunteerhub.com/vv2/

It takes a crew of caring volunteers to keep the Window of Kindness running as a reliable source of support this time of year. That's why we feel enthusiastic about continuing to expand the team with passionate Seattleites.

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/
and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!

Thank You!

 Gratitude Overflowing! 

As we embrace the new year, our hearts are filled with gratitude for your unwavering support in our recent fundraising journey. Your generosity not only helped us meet our $250,000 stretch goal but together you surpassed it with an incredible additional $7,233.

Your belief in our mission empowers us to provide essential services and sustainable homes for our community, and we can't thank you enough.

Here's how you can continue being a part of our journey in 2024:

 Visit the Window of Kindness and witness the direct impact of your support.
 Join a volunteer shift at the BLOCK Shop or on our build sites to see how your contributions lead to the construction of homes in backyards throughout our region.
 Stay connected on our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and our Newsletter to see your support in action.

Your kindness creates a lasting difference. Wishing you a beautiful start to the new year!

With heartfelt appreciation,
The Facing Homelessness Team

Allie's Stor

Transformative Connections: Allie's Story 

“My first shift at the Window of Kindness was also the first conversation I ever had with a person experiencing homelessness – it completely reshaped my understanding of homelessness. By swapping stories and learning more about our clients’ individual journeys, I was prompted to face a fear of the unknown, challenge stereotypes, and dismantle my assumptions. My experiences at the Window have helped me grow as a person, but at the end of the day, it’s all about building community and treating people with the dignity everyone deserves.” - Allie, Window of Kindness volunteer

Allie’s journey gets to the heart of what makes Facing Homelessness unique. We believe genuine human connections transform lives, not just for those we serve but also for volunteers like Allie. This is how we start a movement where each of us plays a role in ending homelessness.

https://givebutter.com/FacingHomelessness2023

Imagine a world where giving kindness is the norm. With just one day left, our community has raised $241,058. That means we have just $8,942 left to hit our $250,000 stretch goal – by midnight tomorrow.

Your donation isn’t just money; it's an investment in creating a compassionate community where stereotypes are shattered, assumptions are dismantled, and love guides us. Your generosity allows us to continue building bridges and making a tangible difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.

With your help, we can provide essential resources, supportive permanent housing, and, above all, a sense of belonging to our unhoused neighbors.

With your support, we will hit our goal and start 2024 ready to continue serving our unhoused neighbors. Now is the moment to take action - donate to Facing Homelessness before time runs out!

With gratitude,
The Facing Homelessness Team

Window of Kindness

"I don't know what I would do if you all weren't here. coming to The Window is what I look forward to every week. I am really, really grateful for you guys. Please don't ever leave. Sometimes this is the only mean I get and probably the most interaction too. It feels like home here." - A Window of Kindness Guest

We run the Window for this- making sure our unhoused neighbors have somewhere safe and welcoming, somewhere they can count on a warm meal, somewhere they can come to connect.

If this speaks to you, we hope that you'll consider donating to our End of Year Campaign to keep Facing Homelessness and The Window of Kindness strong and reliable in 2024. https://givebutter.com/FacingHomelessness2023

helpingHEARTS

helpingHEARTS:

Imagine today you were out and about and you realized your phone died, or you lost your ID, or you didn’t have money for the bus home. You would probably feel vulnerable, stressed, or even anxious, right? But most of us who are housed would be able to sort out replacing any of those items in a matter of days. For our unhoused neighbors, access to necessities like these present a much bigger challenge.

Earlier this week we asked for your help to support our work at Window of Kindness. We want every person who visits the Window to have access to warm food, dry clothing, and a non-judgemental listening ear. This is our baseline. But over the years we have found that because of the close relationships we build with our visitors, they trust us enough to ask for additional help.

With our new Resource Navigator Program, in partnership with the UW School of Social work, dedicated Master of Social Work candidates work one on one with our clients at The Window: assisting them in accessing government-sponsored phones, case management, new IDs, bus tickets, and various other essential services. This program exists to break down barriers because when folks don’t have access to a permanent mailing address, cell phone minutes, the internet, transportation, and other tools we might take for granted, they simply cannot get help even when it is available to them.

In just 5 days, our community has shown up for us and collectively we have raised $1,185 for the Window of Kindness so far. Thank YOU! The unwavering generosity displayed by this community through your financial contributions, your volunteer time, and your heartfelt words of encouragement ground us and inspire us to do more. YOU make that possible.

If you are inspired to support, you still can! We’re $1,815 away from our $3,000 goal, and your gift, no matter the size, is so needed.

sweetSUPPORT

sweetSUPPORT:

We would love to express our deepest gratitude to the South Lake Union location of Fresh Flours, and to their manager Mara, for putting together a canned goods and clothing drive for our Window of Kindness program!

Mara was initially introduced to the Window of Kindness while discussing homelessness with one of our volunteers. After that discussion, Mara was connected to the Community Programs Coordinator for the Window of Kindness, and immediately got to work collecting supplies from her customers! The drive is still ongoing, but has already collected several bags of clothing and a box full of canned goods.

We are consistently so amazed and grateful for the outpouring of love and support our community shares with us! YOU are the reason our programs are able to thrive!

Please feel free to check out the Fresh Flours Website by going to this link: http://www.freshfloursseattle.com/

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/
and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!

What is Home?

whatisHOME?

This month we hear from Jill, a Window of Kindness volunteer about what home means to her:

"Home is safety. It’s a feeling rather than a place. It’s me feeling like I can relax and be my truest self without judgment or disrespect. It’s when I wake up first thing in the morning and don’t have an immediate thought that I need to do something to protect myself. I’ve lived in houses and apartments with people where I was physically sheltered and not physically, mentally or emotionally safe, and those were never my home. My partner and my children are home. With them I am safe and loved”

Thank you, Jill!

What does "Home" mean to you?

#whatishome #FacingHomelessness #TheBLOCKProject #housing

socksSAVELIVES

socksSAVELIVES:

We are in dire need of NEW white socks!

When visitors show up at our Window of Kindness program, feet sore and tired after several miles of walking, one of the first things they tend to ask for is a pair of socks. For folks living outside, clean socks are an absolute necessity AND a very difficult thing to come by. Dirty, wet socks often cause painful and debilitating infections that make walking – and by extension, surviving outside – harder and harder.

Our visitors often request white socks because they more readily show foot infections, which are crucial to catch early on so that they don’t progress. For folks without a home, a new pair of white socks might be the difference between maintaining their health and developing a life-threatening and entirely preventable foot condition.

From our earliest days, we’ve been fortunate enough to honor our visitors’ requests for this basic need all thanks to YOUR generous support. Now, we’re asking you to help our visitors out once again!

We are grateful for any and all support, whether that’s one pair of socks or one hundred! We would love to see you in person if you would like to drop off socks or they can be delivered to Facing Homelessness | 4001 9th Ave Ne | Seattle, WA 98105. We welcome any brand, and here is an easy way to donate straight from your home: https://www.amazon.com/.../ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws...

A warm and gracious thank you to all of you who are able to contribute to this drive!

One thing to please note: we are asking for new socks only! We want to make sure our visitors receive socks that are clean and will last. If you do have gently used, high quality socks that you’d like to donate, we’d recommend the sock closet at University Heights Community Center (it’s right next to the community fridge!).

Thank YOU!

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/

and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!

#JustSayHello #FacingHomelessnes #Kindness #theblockproject

What is Home?

“Home.”

It’s a word that can carry layered meanings for each of us. We’d like to share a beautiful reflection on the idea of HOME from our incredible Resource Navigator, Elena, who has recently completed her MSW practicum with us and who has offered SO MUCH support to our Window of Kindness community over the course of her time with us.

“In the last eight months, the meaning of home to me has truly grown. I have had the pleasure of joining our Window of Kindness and working alongside our clients every day. Our staff, volunteers, and clients work tirelessly to ensure that the Window of Kindness is a welcoming community and space where everyone can be their best and most AUTHENTIC selves. It has taught me that home is not necessarily a physical space, but rather the COMMUNITY you surround yourself with. To know that the Window of Kindness may play a small role in allowing our most vulnerable clients to feel a sense of community and belonging, despite the daily challenges they may be facing, has been the most rewarding part of my time at Facing Homelessness. I will truly miss the beautiful community that the Window of Kindness has created.”

needSOCKS

WE NEED SOCKS: 

Regardless of where each of us are in life, we all deserve to be seen and appreciated for the beauty we hold.

We can quiet the judgment of negative stereotypes by connecting to our shared humanity. When we connect, we bridge over the negative and find LOVE in others.

Each and every sock handed out the Facing Homelessness 'Window of Kindness' by volunteers strives to build this bridge. An abundance of care and LOVE is given to each person.

Our office is full of LOVE but right now we are short on socks. We have about (3) weeks worth left. Can you please help?

Last time we made an ask for 1,000 pairs you all sent us 1,400 pairs, wowWOW!! We are asking for 1,000 again.

You can shipTO: Facing Homelessness 4001 9th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98105. If you have questions, please ask in the comments below. A heartfelt THANK YOU.

BTW - If you are interested in purchasing other items you can find a WISHlist here at http://amzn.to/2kskWky

. If you purchase through Amazon, please use this account http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-2376967

.

Socks are like GOLD for those living on our streets, they are connected directly to health and happiness.

University District Neighborhood | Rex

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/

and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!
#JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness #Kindness KING 5 Crosscut

trueKINDNESS

PLEASE MEET THE TRUE BUDDHA FOUNDATION:

As winter's wet and cold approach, suffering turns to survival. For the next four months countless people without basic needs being met will come to the Facing Homelessness "Window of Kindness" looking for warmth and connection.

Please take a moment to help us meet that steady stream of need. Send sleeping bags, tents and tarps to Facing Homelessness 4001 9th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98105. Each donated item will be handed out with respect and unconditional love.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to the True Buddha Foundation for bringing 82 sleeping bags to our office this last Friday!!

https://www.tbsseattle.org/english/content/view/17/35/lang,en/

We had the sincere pleasure of meeting Rev. Lian Ling, Rev. Lian Jim, and Yang Ming. Sitting with them you could feel their genuine concern for those living outside, made all the more clear by the big smiles when the first bag was given away. Yang Ming shared, "It is very important that teachings are put into action."

True Buddha Foundation is the largest Buddha charity in Asia. Internationally they focus on helping support educational costs for those unable, from beginning schooling through university.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to True Buddha Foundation for all your sincere beautiful kindness.

Redmond neighborhood | Rex

A QUIET THOUGHT - If you're moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/ and click on the 'donate' button and consider a "monthly recurring" donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!
#Kindness #JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness